Escape
Prologue I'm lucky. I live in the best Clan, and I have the four best friends anyone could ask for. It was perfect and orderly and....great! And then Leopardpaw had a dream.... And now I'm running for my life with the rest of my Clan, to who knows where. Because the world is ending. And even worse. The Clans just elected Leopardpaw, Ashpaw, and me to lead them. How are three apprentices supposed to do that? How are we supposed to save the Clans when we can't even take down Applefur in training? All I can think of is going ahead. I don't want to die. I don't want my friends to die. Maybe StarClan will have mercy on us. Maybe not. But we don't know that. Not even Poppyleaf knows where we're going. We're just following Leopardpaw and praying that she can save us. Because we have 2 days. If we succeed we could be the last things left. We could actually live. If we fail.....we die. It's a horrible terror that's stalking all of us, even though we've left our home far behind. It....It's not right. It's scary. It's terrifying. With every pawstep our homes get further and further away. And the same thought keeps echoing in my heart. 2 days. 2 days. Chapter 1 Mosspaw wanted to ask Leopardpaw if she even knew where she was leading them. The golden she-cat was leading all four Clans, and Ashpaw and Mosspaw trailed a few pawsteps behind. Mosspaw felt alone, with Leopardpaw in front, and Bramblepaw somewhere back with the other cats. She felt like stopping everyone and yowling, 'Wait, we can go back! World's not really ending! Just kidding everyone!'. But she couldn't. She caught Ashpaw's eye and she felt a little better. She had Leopardpaw. She had Brightpaw. And Dustpaw. She was worried about Bramblepaw though. Leopardpaw had chosen Ashpaw over her. Mosspaw knew Bramblepaw was really ambitious, she wanted to go far. And Leopardpaw had hurt her. I want to go far too. '' Leopardpaw was padding towards a line of trees. They couldn't even see the Lake any more. Mosspaw ran to catch up with her friend. "We should get over the Mountains by tomorrow." she meowed seriously. "If we keep up the pace we can get far away from home....but do we even know where the Last Place is? And when we find out, how are we..." she trailed off when she noticed Leopardpaw crying. "Don't cry! It'll be okay...." Leopardpaw looked at Mosspaw, her green eyes slightly red from crying. "It will not be okay Mosspaw. I don't want to be leader. I wasn't meant to lead. I don't even know where we're going. And I lost my home and Bramblepaw's mad at me...." "Leopardpaw, you were meant to do this," Mosspaw said, "StarClan chose you. The Clans chose you. ''We ''choose you. And we'll find a new home. And Bramblepaw will be okay. You can't worry about us, you have to save us." "I can't," Leopardpaw whispered, "I'm not brave like you or Bramblepaw or Ashpaw...." Mosspaw touched her friends shoulder with her tail, "You are brave. And stronger then you know." Leopardpaw looked up at her. "You really think so?" "I do," And Mosspaw meant it. Ashpaw padded over to join them. "Hey, guys. You'll have to finish talking about girly stuff later, we've reached the mountains." Chapter 2 Nothing in Mosspaw's life could've prepared her for the mountains. She had heard all about them in nursery tales when she was curled up next to her mother, but in real life they were sheer and gray and absolutely fantastic. "Wow," she breathed. Leopardpaw and Ashpaw stood next to her, gaping upwards. In fact, most of the other cats were stopped too. Mosspaw shook her head. They didn't have time to gape like a bunch of moonstruck rabbits. "Come on," she called, leading the way up the steep slope. ''How would they get up these monstrous things of nature? "Mosspaw!" Ashpaw called. She turned back to look at him. "We should stop before we climb up. Just for a little bit." Mosspaw was about to object when Leopardpaw said, "Sounds good. We should all rest for a bit." Mosspaw's fur grew a little hot and she padded back to the group, scolding herself. Leopardpaw's leader now. She makes the decisions. Chapter 3 Mosspaw. She twitched in her sleep. It had almost sounded like someone was calling her.... Mosspaw. There it was again... MOSSPAW! With a gasp, she opened her eyes, and gasped again. Her first thought was, Everything glows. Then she immediately rolled her eyes. Well duh. She looked around and meowed aloud, "Where am I?" "StarClan," a young, yet wise voice meowed. Mosspaw turned. "Spottedpaw?" her eyes must've been playing tricks on her. Then she remembered- Spottedpaw had visited Leopardpaw and Poppyleaf as well. "What do you want?" she added more respectfully. "I'm here to warn you," Spottedpaw said, "You have two days. Less then that." "I know," Mosspaw said, slightly annoyed, "Why do you think we're running?" "But where are you running to?" Spottedpaw asked infuriatingly. Mosspaw opened her mouth, then closed it, trying to hide how annoyed she was. Spottedpaw smiled serenely. "You have to go to the Last Place. It's protected by the magic of the wild. There will be prey and water and a place to make a new home...but there is momentous danger as well." Mosspaw nodded, "We can handle it." Spottedpaw nodded, eyes sad, "But what are you willing to loose?" Ghostly versions of Leopardpaw, Bramblepaw, Dustpaw, and Ashpaw appeared, looking at Mosspaw. Suddenly she felt very close to tears. "Cats will be lost," Spottedpaw meowed softly, "Who are you ready to loose?" Her friends were joined by Applefur and Poppyleaf, then Smokestar. Her Clanmates began to crowd around her. "Stop it!" Mosspaw cried. Though her eyes were prickling with tears, she was furious. "Do you want us to die? Do you want us to just roll over and accept death?!" Spottedpaw shook her head, and the ghosts vanished leaving Mosspaw empty. "I want you to know what comes ahead." "Well I'm prepared," Mosspaw growled, "Now how do we get to the Sun Drown place?" Spottedpaw's expression clouded, "Go to the Sun Drown Place. Then...I will help if I can. But the Last Place is across a huge expanse of water...bigger then anything you can imagine. I will not have the power to help you....but I know someone who does. He will ask for something in return however. But to save all of you...it will be worth it." Mosspaw nodded and Spottedpaw looked at her sadly, "I warned you about loss Mosspaw. It has only begun." Mosspaw barely had time to wonder what that meant before she woke up to screaming. Chapter 4 "Pricklekit! Oh, someone help! Pricklekit!!" Mosspaw's eyes flew open and she stood up, looking around in one fluid motion. Ashpaw was shaking his head groggily and Leopardpaw was nowhere to be seen. Hollyfrost, a RiverClan she-cat was yowling at the top of her lungs. Her horrified eyes stared upward and Mosspaw wondered why. What was in the sky that could inspire so much fear into a cats' eyes? She followed the queen's gaze and gasped. A huge bird was rising higher and higher into the sky, clutching something small in it's paws. Mosspaw realized, with a shock, it was a kit. "Pricklekit!" Hollyfrost shrieked again. Ashpaw was next to Mosspaw now. He nudged her, then started running, "We've got to help!" Mosspaw ran after him, but she couldn't help thinking sadly, We'll never get there in time. Then she heard something that made her stop short, something that she had heard before in the Training Hollow, but never in real life. Bramblepaw's battle cry. She stopped, then continued running til she was in the front of the crowd that had gathered. Bramblepaw was running, a blur of tabby fur, streaking after the bird. A terrified looking Dustpaw was pelting after her. Bramblepaw reached where the bird was flying into the sky, already a fox-length up. She tensed her muscles, and so did Dustpaw, the pair of them ready to jump. They won't make it. Dustpaw didn't. He leaped as high as he could, almost reaching the bird's rising talons. He fell back to Earth with a wail. Bramblepaw made it though. She clung to the bird's wing, forcing it towards the Earth. Pricklekit shrieked. Bramblepaw clawed and hacked at the bird's wing. Then it went wrong. The bird managed to turn it's head around and clamped it's beak onto Bramblepaw's paw. She shrieked in pain and tried to get away, but the bird wouldn't let go. Pricklekit squirmed and, while the bird focused on Bramblepaw, managed to fall back to Earth where Applefur caught him. The bird was flying in a sort of zigzag manner, away from the cats, up into the mountains, Bramblepaw still on it. "No!" Mosspaw cried. She began to chase it, Ashpaw thundering after her. Then, the bird gave a squeak of pain and Bramblepaw plummeted from the sky. The bird flew away and Mosspaw ran forward, towards where Bramblepaw lay very still. Ashpaw ran after her, slower, and Leopardpaw was coming after them with a dizzy looking Dustpaw. Mosspaw bent over her friend, smelling her, "She's alive!" she meowed in relief. Ashpaw caught up, eyes wide. "Look at her paw!" he murmured in shocked terror. Mosspaw stared and gasped. Bramblepaw's paw was bent in a funny way. It was twisted and covered in blood from the bird bite. Then the tabby apprentice groaned and stirred, opening her vivid green eyes. Her eyes widened at their shocked expressions. "What's wrong? Bramblepaw asked. Chapter 5 Who are you willing to loose? Bramblepaw. Pricklekit. She had almost lost both of them. Had Spottedpaw known? Why didn't she tell me?! Bramblepaw was with Poppyleaf and Leopardpaw. Ashpaw and Dustpaw sat close by, giving encouraging remarks while the medicine cats examined Bramblepaw's paw. "I'll never be a warrior now." Bramblepaw whispered, eyes swimming with tears. "You were really brave!" Ashpaw meowed, licking her ear comfortingly. He turned to Dustpaw, "You too." Dustpaw ducked his head, but Mosspaw could see he was smiling. Bramblepaw looked happier too. Leopardpaw came over to Mosspaw, "Why are you over here instead of with the rest of us?" she meowed anxiously. Mosspaw could barely speak, but she managed to open her jaws, "I had a dream." she whispered. "What?" "A dream! Spottedpaw told me...oh StarClan. She asked me who I was willing to loose and she told me how to get to the Last Place..." "The Last Place?" Leopardpaw meowed, eyes wide, "That's great!" "No it's not," Mosspaw meowed, still watching Bramblepaw. "Leoprdpaw, we have about a day now. Maybe a little more. We're not going to make it." "Stop it," Mosspaw looked up, shocked by Leopardpaw's angry tone. Her friend's amber eyes were smoldering. "Leopardpaw?" "You told me to be brave! You said it would be okay and that I couldn't worry about you! You said I had to save you. And you have to help. Do yu know what that dream meant? StarClan chose you too. So quit thinking about Bramblepaw and go tell Smokestar about your dream!" Leopardpaw paused, breathing heavily while Mosspaw sat, shocked. "Y-You're right." she meowed. "Leopardpaw? Mosspaw?" Dustpaw had come up beside them, "Poppyleaf wants you." They padded over to the medicine cat. Bramblepaw grinned at Mosspaw, who tried to grin back. Ashpaw nudged Mosspaw reassuringly as she sat down. "Bramblepaw's paw is twisted back. We can repair where the bird bit it, but I can't reset it. It will never be the same," Poppyleaf said with no preamble. The grin melted off Bramblepaw's face. "But I can still be a warrior, right?" she meowed. Poppyleaf just looked at her paws. Bramblepaw looked at her friends in horror, "But what about Deadfoot and Cinderpelt? Those warriors from long ago? They were fine!" "Cinderpelt was a medicine cat. And Deadpool had all of his life to adjust to his deformity. You'd have to restart training and everything." Poppyleaf said kindly. "But-" Bramblepaw began. Mosspaw stepped in between them, "We only have a day! Bramblepaw, I'm sorry, but as long as you can walk, we should leave this for later. If we survive, we can talk about it more. Does that sound okay?" Bramblepaw nodded, but Mosspaw could see the anguish in her eyes. She felt a pang of sympathy. Bramblepaw had no idea if she could be a warrior or not. Add that to the fact that they could die in a day's time... Mosspaw shook her head, then looked at Poppyleaf. "I have something to tell you." Chapter 6 "We have to get to the Sun Drown Place." "Well, duh, Ashpaw." Mosspaw rolled her eyes. Honestly. Ashpaw was supposed to be smart, and here he was saying what they already knew. They'd stated trekking up the mountain and it was actually pretty easy so far. Mosspaw had taken the lead and Leopardpaw was doing her best to keep up. Ashpaw had stopped trying to walk at their pace a while ago. "Does anyone even know how to get there?" Bramblepaw asked. She and Dustpaw were walking with the others. Bramblepaw was limping slightly and stopped every few minutes, but she was a quick walker and Mosspaw was glad for her and Dustpaw's company. "I mean, the last cats who went there....never..came back." Bramblepaw said after a pause, "Did they?" Silence. Every cat knew about those three cats, many seasons ago, who had gone to the Sun Drown Place. They had saved the Clans from some kind of huge battle with their ancestors, and then they had gone. "You just go over the mountains. And through a Twoleg Place." Ashpaw meowed uneasily. "I just wish we had some idea! I mean, some cats could've told their kits who could've told their kits....I mean, we could die because of these cats! I just wish it was as quick and orderly as it had sounded in my dream..." Mosspaw meowed in annoyance. She stopped at a path leading downwards. "I think this is it." They waited a moment for the Clan cats to catch up, then began picking their way downward. "Don't trip, don't trip." Ashpaw was muttering under his breath. Dustpaw looked terrified and Bramblepaw cuffed Ashpaw on the ear, "Mouse-brain!" she hissed. But her eyes sparkled. Mosspaw grinned. Things couldn't go wrong. She had her friends and they were almost over the mountains! If they could just get through the Twolegplace..... She skidded to a stop. The trail ended here and she could see strange dens rising out of the mist before her. She grinned and turned to the rest of the Clans who were padding after her with haunted expressions. "Twolegplace!" she yowled triumphantly. Chapter 7 "We should hunt. Before we go in there." Bramblepaw meowed. "I'll go get some cats." she turned and was padding away before Mosspaw had time to think about it. Mosspaw felt a twinge of annoyance. "The rest of us should go too." she meowed, leading the others after Bramblepaw. Several groups of cats were already leaving and Bramblepaw was waiting for them. They padded into the sparse forest area at the base of the mountains and began scenting for prey. The other patrols went deeper into the forest. In a few minutes, Bramblepaw had a squirrel, Leopardpaw had two voles, and Ashpaw had a large rabbit. Mosspaw pounced on a mouse. Dustpaw acted as lookout, then switched out with Leopardpaw. After a while, Mosspaw meowed, "Okay, I think we have eno-" Crack. Mosspaw was saved by her excellent reflexes. The fox barely missed her. As she ducked, Ashpaw leaped over her while Leopardpaw and Bramblepaw began attacking the fox from the front and the back. The fox swiped at Ashpaw and growled, a deep terrifying sound. Dustpaw threw himself at the ground and Mosspaw wondered what he was doing. But the brown apprentice slid under the fox and scrabbled at its belly. The ginger animal snarled and scratched Leopardpaw, barely missing Bramblepaw who jumped back just in time. Mosspaw threw herself into battle, pleased with how they worked as a team. That's what we get for training together for almost 11 moons. The fox was startled by her attack and fell back, sitting on Dustpaw who cried out in pain and tried to squirm away. Mosspaw leapt at the fox, aiming for the throat. It yelped and backed away, trampling Dustpaw a little, and retreating into the forest. Ashpaw shook his pelt out, "Well, I don't think it'll be trying to attack another cats." Leopardpaw had hurried over to Dustpaw, "Dustpaw, are you okay?" The small apprentice nodded, gasping for breath. Bramblepaw grinned, "You dumb furball! Attacking an eagle and a fox in one day? Who are you can what have you done with Dustpaw?" Dustpaw grinned, but he still looked winded. "We should go back anyways," Mosspaw meowed, looking at the setting sun. She led them back, taking their unburied prey with them as they did. They had managed quite a catch and Mosspaw was proud. They were almost back when Mosspaw heard Bramblepaw erupt into giggles. "What?" Ashpaw meowed, looking a little freaked out. "It's not really funny..." Bramblepaw said, still laughing, "But...isn't it great that the world is ending...and we still have to put up with things like fox attacks?" Mosspaw and Leopardpaw started laughing and Dustpaw smiled. Even Ashpaw snorted. It was like the old times, the five of them, with no worries, no responsibilities. The best of times. Chapter 8 "We've been lucky so far," Mosspaw was meowing to Leopardpaw. "Lucky?" Leopardpaw snorted, "The world's ending!" "Yeah, but we got over the mountains in a day. The Heroes in on that Quest took ages..." "If by ages you mean a few days. They had to put up with falling off cliffs and eagles and stuff. Plus, they spent like, and moon at the Tribe or whatever." "Yeah, I guess..." suddenly Mosspaw bolted up, "The Tribe!!" "Oh no..." Leopardpaw meowed in horror, reading her friend's expression. "We have to go back and warn them!" Mosspaw was turning, looking for Applefur, Poppyleaf, Smokestar, someone who could help. And then Applefur was there. "Shh, it's okay..." "We have to warn the Tribe!" Mosspaw cried. "Their Healer will have had a dream. And if not..." Applefur's sad green eyes said it all. Mosspaw wailed. "That's not fair!" "Well neither is life." Applefur. "And it's too late anyhow. Would you risk one of your friend's lives to go back and die with the Tribe?" Mosspaw buried her nose in Applefur's fur. It sounded too much like what Spottedpaw had said. But she knew Applefur was right. Applefur had practically raised Mosspaw and her friends after they got out of the nursery. She spent more time with them then their real mentors. And Mosspaw trusted her more then any other cat. Leopardpaw's eyes were filled with tears, "All those cats..." "Shh..." Applefur meowed, pulling Leopardpaw in. "None of us have died yet! And we could still make it! And-" she drew away so Mosspaw and Leopardpaw were looking at her. "We are Warriors." she grinned, "This is what we do." Leopardpaw gave a gurgled laugh/sob and Mosspaw drew away, feeling better, but not good. She just kept staring up at the mountain. She knew in her heart that the Tribe had not been warned. Perhaps their ancestors just didn't care. Why couldn't you save them too? she asked the stars, Why just us? There was no response, just a friendly twinkling. "Why?!" Mosspaw exploded. "It may not seem fair, but remember, that wasn't our fault." Spottedpaw meowed. Mosspaw grumbled, but didn't say anything. "Well we have less then a day left and you haven't told me how to get to the Sun-Drown Place." Spottedpaw sighed, "Go straight through the Twolegplace. It may seem puzzling, but that's why the Heroes of Old were so slow, they tried to make it too complicated. Just go until there are no more Twoleg dens and there will be the Sun Drown Place." "And then?" "I'm still talking to the tom who can help you....he's the only one who can. But you remember, he'll ask of something. Something huge. And remember, this is the only way." Mosspaw nodded, but felt unsure as she jerked awake. Chapter 9 Mosspaw lead the way as the still sleepy Clan cats stumbled along beside her. She yawned widely, almost running into Leopardpaw who's eyes had been half closed. No sleep wasn't doing them any good. Ashpaw and Bramblepaw were especially grumpy. Half asleep and bickering, they padded behind Leopardpaw and Mosspaw, growling and muttering. Mosspaw sighed, resisting the urge to turn and claw some sense into them. She kept walking, leading the way between the first two Twoleg dens. "Woah..." she gasped. They were strange. What kind of creatures lived in these box-like dens, that were so huge, they seemed to vanish into the sky? And why did they have holes in the den? Mosspaw shook her head, it made no sense. "Freaky..." Bramblepaw breathed. Mosspaw was about to agree when she saw her friend wasn't looking at the dens, she was looking at the hard pathway down the Twolegplace. Mosspaw gasped at the strange and eerily horrifying scene. Monsters lay by the side of the road, some of them upside down. No fire glowed in their eyes and some of them looked as if they had their bellies clawed open. Strange colorful, crumpled objects that smelled of Twolegs and food blew around them. The dens were empty and they had no light coming from their holes. Mosspaw suddenly realized there was no sound either. She shivered, and the murmurs of the Clan cats grew silent until all Mosspaw heard was whispers that she was sure weren't from cats. Horrible fate... Save us.... Cannot escape... Suddenly Mosspaw was standing in the Pathway, but no one was with her. However, Twolegs rushed around, shrieking and gesturing with their pink limbs. She saw a small kit being pulled along by an adult. The kit lost hold of a small pink toy and let out a cry that no one seemed to notice. Suddenly there was a yowl. Mosspaw turned to see a tom waving his paw at another tom. With no warning, the first tom shrieked and pounced at the second tom who cried out. The two fell to the ground, hissing and fighting and screeching. Mosspaw opened her jaws. Twolegs fighting like this? How awful! She heard a strange snuffling sound and turned. A small Twoleg she-cat was crying, tears streaking down her face. In her small paw she had a flap of something, like a leaf. Mosspaw couldn't read it, but she felt sure of what it meant. We are sorry to inform you that your father has died.... Mosspaw heard something else and turned, beginning to feel overwhelmed. A female Twoleg stood in the center of the carnage letting out a low wailing sound. Others were taking it up, and Mosspaw felt a crashing wave of despair. The Twolegs were running and screaming and somehow, Mosspaw knew they wouldn't make it. She closed her eyes, blinking back horrified tears. When she opened them again, she was standing back with her Clanmates, in the abandoned Twolegplace. "Scary..." Ashpaw muttered. Mosspaw stagger forward a few steps and looked down. There it was, right where the kit had dropped it. She staggered back a step, seeing what it was. Hot tears spilled over her eyes. "I wonder what did this..." Leopardpaw meowed softly, staring around as if afraid to wake ghosts from the dust. Mosspaw blinked down at the tiny to the Twoleg kit had dropped in her vision- a little pink cat. "Something horrible," she whispered. Chapter 10 Mosspaw padded along quietly, staring at the ground. The shock of her vision had scared her. Why had StarClan shown her this? What could they gain by scaring an apprentice half to death with showing how the Twolegs had left town? The Twolegs had left town. Mosspaw looked up and around. The world hadn't ended yet, but the twolegs were all gone. "Leopardpaw, no one's here!" "Yeah....so?" Leopardpaw met Mosspaw's gaze with her confused eyes. "No, I mean, the Twolegs are all gone!" "So wha- oh!" Leopardpaw grinned, "That's great!" Mosspaw nodded happily. It was still horrible, but at least the warriors could cross the Twolegplace quickly, and without any Twolegs attacking them. Mosspaw led the way across the first Thunderpath. Habit made her look carefully, and dash across as quickly as she could. But by the fourth or fifth, she was so tire,d she just padded across. "Spottedpaw made it sound so easy!" she complained, "Just walk across the Twolegplace to the Sun-drown zone! Honestly, it's been forever." Bramblepaw looked at the sinking sun with large, worried green eyes. "Guys, we only have a few hours left...I mean, we really need to hurry." Mosspaw nodded, but her hope was diminished as she looked out over the Twolegplace. So much more....so long to go... How are we gonna do this? "Mosspaw!" Mosspaw turned to see Ashpaw. She hated to admit it, but he was cute, his fur rumpled, and his eyes slightly distressed, but still their stormy blue. "What?" she meowed. He stopped next to her, panting slightly, "We need to take a break. The queens and elders can't taker much more of this." "Ashpaw!" she looked at him, horrified, "We only have a little more til the world ends!" "I know." "You know?! Ashpaw, we can't stop. Not now." "We have to. They won't make it and this will all have been for nothing." Ashpaw's eyes were getting that look that said he was getting ready to argue until the world ''did ''end. "Fine," Mosspaw said wearily. She lay next to Ashpaw, Leopardpaw, Dustpaw, and Bramblepaw. The sun was rapidly sinking and Mosspaw sighed. So little time... "Guy, I'm scared." Dustpaw whispered. "We all are," Bramblepaw said. "But we're warriors, we have to keep going." "And we have each other," Mosspaw meowed, looking around at each of them, thinking about how much she cared about them. She never wanted to loose them. She opened her mouth, wanting to share some of these feelings with her friends. Wanting to share this one moment of peace and happiness, lost in their sea of despair. And then the world erupted into flames and smoke. Category:Artimas Hunter's Fanfics